Putting alignment training device

ABSTRACT

A putting alignment training device that is securable to an upper torso of a user, having an elongated shoulder board, an adjustable harness that is secured to the shoulder board and configured to secure the training device to a front side of the upper torso, a frontal board, an adjustable connector that secures the frontal board to the shoulder board, a grid board including a grid formed by a plurality of horizontal lines and a plurality of vertical lines wherein one of the plurality of horizontal lines and the plurality of vertical lines are parallel to the shoulder board.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 17/323,639 filed May 18, 2021, now U.S. Pat. No. 11,433,287,which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No.63/086,361 filed Oct. 1, 2020, the disclosures of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The presently disclosed invention relates generally to devices andmethods of use thereof for assisting athletes in the game of golf and,more specifically, to devices and methods of use thereof for trainingathletes in the discipline of putting.

BACKGROUND

This invention involves a training device used in golf to improve agolfer's score. More specifically, it is a device used to train a golferin properly aligning the body and the putter prior to making a putt sothat accuracy of the putt is improved. The training device can be usedby both right-handed and left-handed golfers.

The game of golf is played on a course set up with a round typicallyconsisting of 9 to 18 holes, each having a tee, a fairway, a green, anda hole on the green. Golf involves the use of clubs to strike the ballin as few strokes as possible from tee, to fairway, to green, and intothe hole. Strokes taken on the greens are called putts. Club used forthis purpose is the putter.

A typical golfer in a typical round will take 30% to 50% of totalstrokes as putts on the greens. Therefore, it is very important that inorder to become a better golfer, the art of putting should be improved.Putting involves a proper grip, proper stance, and proper alignment ofthe putter and body prior to making the putt and proper stroke,including proper speed, during the putt. Depending on length of putt,even a misalignment of a very few degrees can result in a missed putt.Many putts are missed due to improper alignment prior to attempting theputt, although speed of the putt or the putting stroke itself may causemany misses as well. Misalignment prior to the putt can occur becausethe putter face has not been positioned perpendicularly to the correctline from the ball to the hole prior to taking one's stance. As well,the putter may be properly positioned and the stance, that is theposition of the feet, is not properly aligned, that is with a line fromthe tip of the toe of one shoe to the tip of the toe of the other shoe.Preferably this line should be parallel to the line from the ball to thehole. Finally, the putter can be aligned correctly and feet alignedcorrectly but the body, primarily the shoulders, are slightly out ofline. That is, the shoulders not parallel to the line from the ball tothe hole. Any of these misalignments can, and often do, cause missedputts. The present training device seeks to assist the user duringpractice and help to correct these misalignments during an actual round,when rules prevent the use of such devices.

Over time, golfers have used, and still do use, many putting techniques.However, in recent years it has become most common among professionaland amateur golfers alike to use what is generally called the pendulummethod, or pendulum stroke. This method involves keeping the lower partof the body still and moving the shoulders and arms and hands in apendulum motion, similar to a pendulum of a grandfather clock, withlittle or no movement or rotation of the torso. To do this, a triangleis formed running from the hands to each shoulder, and from shoulder toshoulder. This triangle stays fixed during the putt and only rotatesback and forth as described above. The wrists should not be allowed tobreak or rotate independently of the triangle during the putt, and bodyfrom waist down should not be allowed to move.

Because most golfers position their eyes directly, or nearly directly,over the golf ball when taking their stance, and have a forward leanfrom the waist with the putter head extended out rather than straightdown from the shoulders, their shoulders are not typically positionedstraight over the ball when taking their stance prior to attempting theputt. Rather, their shoulders are nearly directly over the tips of theirtoes, that is, inside the line from golf ball to hole. Because of thistype stance, employed by many golfers, the pendulum stroke will actuallyhave a very small arc just inside the target line on the backstroke, besquare to the target line at impact and have a very small arc justinside the target line on the follow through after contact is made withthe golf ball. The longer the putt, generally speaking, the longer thebackswing and the follow through and, therefore, the greater the arc. Assuch, many golfers find that centering the face of the putter betweentheir feet at address is best because the putter face is square to thetarget at impact and, therefore, perpendicular to the target line atimpact rather than skewed from the line extending from the golf ball tothe hole. Having weight equally distributed on the feet is important inachieving this centering process. In this method of address, the ball isslightly ahead of center because the ball is ahead of the putter facewhich is centered. Stated another way, an imaginary line starting fromcenter of the putter face and running through the center of the golfball to center of the hole will be tangent to the arc made by the putterat time of impact if the face of the putter head has been centered atmidpoint between the feet and a proper normal putting stroke is madeusing the pendulum method.

Because most golfers now use this pendulum technique, and, due to thearc of the putting stroke, it is essential that the whole body, toinclude the feet, knees, hips, and shoulders, be properly alignedparallel to line from ball to hole prior to attempting the putt and thatthe putter face be centered between the feet with face perpendicular toline from the ball to the hole.

Typical known training devices have focused on aligning one part of thebody, the putter, or articles of clothing, but overlooked the rest ofthe body. These have included attaching an alignment device to thegolfer's shoes (U.S. Pat. No. 7,228,649 B2), a device attached to thehat or eyeglasses (U.S. Publication No. 2004/0106462 A1), and a deviceattached to the putter (U.S. Pat. No. 6,383,087 B1).

To assist a golfer in aligning an attempted putt, there are things whicha golfer may legally employ which are not part of this invention itself,and not necessary for the effective use of the invention, but may or maynot be used in conjunction with this invention as an added tool in thealignment process. For example, all putters are legally constructed sothat the grip has a flat rather than rounded surface on the front of theputter, this flat surface being perpendicular to the putter face.Therefore, when the golfer takes his grip, typically with both thumbs ontop and facing down the shaft toward the ball, the putter face will beperpendicular to this flat side.

Almost all golf balls are now constructed with an alignment line orarrow imprinted on the ball. To use this line, a golfer crouches behindthe ball. After spotting the ball with a marker, the golfer may thensight the line from ball to hole and legally move the ball and rotate itin such a way that he can align the line on the ball with the sightedpath from the ball to the hole. Having done so, he then removes themarker prior to attempting the putt. This method is only as good as thegolfer's ability to properly line up the line on the ball with theproper line to the hole. Another legal embodiment which a golfer may useto improve alignment is a line drawn on the head of the putter pointingin the direction that the ball is to be hit, this direction beingperpendicular to the face of the putter which strikes the ball. Thismethod also is only as good as the golfer's ability to properly line upthe line on the putter head to the proper line to the hole.

In putting training, but not in actual play, a golfer may use a puttingmat with alignment lines that run parallel to the intended line that theputt is to travel. Such devices may also be equipped with lines that runperpendicular to the line that the putt is to travel so that the feetmay be properly positioned. In other words, a set of grid lines,horizontal and vertical or horizontal only, may be imprinted on a matthat the golfer uses to practice putting. Such mats usually include aramp at the end of the putt with a hole that shuttles the ball to areturning trough to return the ball to the golfer by gravity. Suchputting mats may be helpful in the use of the training devices describedherein and to facilitate practice, but are not essential to thefunctioning of the devices. Also, a line on the putter may be helpful,but not essential, in use of the described training devices as the lineon the putter may be lined up with the laser lines or gridlines, asdescribed in greater detail below. Finally, the technique of lining upthe line or arrow on the ball to point to the hole may be used with thisinvention if this is the golfer's normal putting technique. However, ifthis line does not coincide with the grid lines or laser lines per thedisclosed training devices which are more accurate, the line on the ballshould be realigned or simply ignored in practice putting. To reiterate,the disclosed training devices can be used successfully without the aidof any other aligning devices such as, but not limited to, a line on theputter, a line on the ball, or grid lines on a mat.

During practice, the embodiments of training devices discussed belowhave features to assist with aligning the feet properly, which meansparallel to a line from the ball to the hole, aligning the face of theputter properly, which means perpendicular to the line from the ball tothe hole, and aligning the shoulders properly, which means parallel tothe line from the ball to the hole, which in turn causes the hips andknees to be aligned in the same manner.

As such, there at least remains a need, therefore, for devices andmethods for assisting athletes in the game of golf to practice putting.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

One embodiment of the present invention provides a putting alignmenttraining device that is securable to an upper torso of a user, thetraining device having an elongated shoulder board, an adjustableharness that is secured to the shoulder board and configured to securethe training device to a front side of the upper torso, a frontal board,an adjustable connector that secures the frontal board to the shoulderboard, and a grid board including a grid formed by a plurality ofhorizontal lines and a plurality of vertical lines, wherein one of theplurality of horizontal lines and the plurality of vertical lines areparallel to the shoulder board.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate one or more embodiments of theinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention now will be described more fully hereinafter withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which some, but not, allembodiments of the invention are shown. Indeed, this invention may beembodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limitedto the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments areprovided so that this disclosure will satisfy applicable legalrequirements.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shoulder harness in accordance with anembodiment of present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an adjustable grid embodiment of aputting alignment training device in accordance with an embodiment ofthe present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of an adjustable connector in accordance with anembodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the adjustable connector shown in FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the putting alignment training device shown inFIG. 2 , positioned on a golfer;

FIG. 6 is a front view of the golfer and the putting alignment trainingdevice shown in FIG. 5 ;

FIG. 7 is a back view of the golfer and the putting alignment trainingdevice shown in FIG. 5 ;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a fixed grid embodiment of a puttingalignment training device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 9 is an alternate embodiment of a putting alignment training devicein accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic depiction of the putting alignment trainingdevice shown in FIG. 9 ;

FIG. 11 is an alternate embodiment of a putting alignment trainingdevice in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic depiction of the putting alignment trainingdevice shown in FIG. 11 ;

FIG. 13 is a perspective side view of an alternate embodiment of aputting alignment training device in accordance with the presentinvention;

FIG. 14 is a perspective opposite side view of the putting alignmenttraining device shown in FIG. 13 ;

FIG. 15 is a schematic of the putting alignment training device shown inFIGS. 13 and 14 ;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a puttingalignment training device in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of a puttingalignment training device in accordance with the present invention; and

FIGS. 18A-18C are various perspective views of the components of theputting alignment training device shown in FIG. 17 .

Repeat use of reference characters in the present specification anddrawings is intended to represent same or analogous features or elementsof the invention according to the disclosure.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Reference will now be made to presently preferred embodiments of theinvention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation,not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in thepresent invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof.For instance, features illustrated or described as part of oneembodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still furtherembodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers suchmodifications and variations as come within the scope of the appendedclaims and their equivalents.

As used herein, terms referring to a direction or a position relative tothe orientation of the golfer and training device, such as but notlimited to “vertical,” “horizontal,” “upper,” “lower,” “above,” or“below,” refer to directions and relative positions with respect to thegolfer's orientation in his normal intended position, as indicated inthe Figures herein. Thus, for instance, the terms “vertical” and “upper”refer to the vertical direction and relative upper position in theperspectives of the Figures and should be understood in that context.

Further, the term “or” as used in this disclosure and the appendedclaims is intended to mean an inclusive “or” rather than an exclusive“or.” That is, unless specified otherwise, or clear from the context,the phrase “X employs A or B” is intended to mean any of the naturalinclusive permutations. That is, the phrase “X employs A or B” issatisfied by any of the following instances: X employs A; X employs B;or X employs both A and B. In addition, the articles “a” and “an” asused in this application and the appended claims should generally beconstrued to mean “one or more” unless specified otherwise or clear fromthe context to be directed to a singular form. Throughout thespecification and claims, the following terms take at least the meaningsexplicitly associated herein, unless the context dictates otherwise. Themeanings identified below do not necessarily limit the terms, but merelyprovided illustrative examples for the terms. The meaning of “a,” “an,”and “the” may include plural references, and the meaning of “in” mayinclude “in” and “on.” The phrase “in one embodiment,” as used hereindoes not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although it may.

Reference will now be made to presently preferred embodiments of theinvention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation,not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that modifications and variations can be made in thepresent invention without departing from the scope and spirit thereof.For instance, features illustrated or described as part of oneembodiment may be used on another embodiment to yield a still furtherembodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers suchmodifications and variations as come within the scope of the appendedclaims and their equivalents.

The present disclosure is related to putting alignment used in golftraining to improve putting skills by improving a golfer's ability toproperly line up a putt prior to actually attempting the putt. Forexample, as discussed in greater detail below, embodiments includedevices worn on the body that include a transparent grid, or lasers thatcast laser lines or dots on the putting surface. By aligning these lineswith a line from the golf ball to the hole, the golfer's body issimultaneously lined up correctly, that is with shoulders, hips, knees,and feet parallel to the line from the ball to the hole.

Embodiments of putting alignment training devices in accordance with thepresent disclosure fall into two broad categories, those involving agrid, of which there are four, and those involving lasers, of whichthere are three. One embodiment is described as an adjustable gridembodiment (FIG. 2 ), and three embodiments include fixed grids and aredescribed as a fixed grid embodiment (FIG. 8 ), a fixed grid embodimentwith continuous connectors (FIG. 16 ), and an assembly grid embodiment(FIG. 17 ). The laser embodiments are described as a line lasersembodiment (FIG. 9 ), a pointer laser embodiment (FIG. 11 ), and a dualline laser embodiment (FIG. 13 ), dual meaning emitting both ahorizontal and vertical beam at the same time.

Referring now to the Figures, a first embodiment of a putting alignmenttraining device, more specifically, the adjustable grid embodiment 106,is described. The adjustable grid embodiment 106 includes a harness 100,as best seen in FIG. 1 , a shoulder board 105 as best seen in FIG. 2 ,with the attachment to the body of a user shown in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 .

The purpose of the harness 100 is to attach the shoulder board 105 tothe front of the golfer's shoulders. The harness 100 preferably includesa strap 101 that encircles the shoulders of the golfer with a connectorstrap 102 and pad 103 at the back. Adjustable shoulder straps 104 and aplastic locking component 107 allow the golfer to tighten the straps asnecessary to cause the shoulder board 105 to rest firmly against thefront of his shoulders. Preferred material of the harness 100 issynthetic cloth, but other materials may be used. The shoulder board 105is preferably constructed so that length is slightly wider than thegolfer's shoulders. Therefore, the shoulder board 105 may be produced invarying sizes as needed, such as long, medium, and short. Preferredmaterial of the shoulder board 105 is wood, but other materials such asplastics may be used. Construction of the harness 100 and shoulder board105 is similar for all the embodiments discussed in greater detailbelow, with the exception of the assembly grid embodiment 143 (FIG. 17 )so this construction will not be repeated where it would be repetitive.Also, where operation of one embodiment is the same as that of anotherembodiment it will not be repeated, but simply referred to as the sameto avoid unnecessary repetition.

Referring specifically to FIG. 2 , the adjustable grid embodiment 106includes an adjustable connector 110, connected to a shoulder board 105by an L bracket 108 and nuts and bolts 109. The connector 110 is furtherdetailed in FIG. 3 , a side view, and FIG. 4 , a view facing the golfer.The connector 110 connects the shoulder board 100 to the frontal board115. The connector 110 consists of a first part 111 attached to theshoulder board 105, a second part 112 attached to the frontal board 115,and a rotating component in the middle. The rotating component consistsof a rotating cylindrical component 113 and a set screw 114. Therotation is around an axis that is parallel to the shoulder board 105and frontal board 115 and runs through the center of the cylindricalcomponent 113. Preferred material of the connector 110 is plastic, butother materials, such as metals, may be used. The preferred material ofthe L brackets 108 is metal, but other materials may be used, such asplastics. The purpose of the adjustable feature of the connector is toallow golfers with different heights, or body positions each takes whentaking his normal stance prior to putting, to adjust the frontal board115 so that the lines of the grid 117, or the laser lines 123 and 137 aswill be explained later with regard to alternate embodiments, are in thegolfer's sight without altering the golfer's normal stance.

Attached to the frontal board 115 by nuts and bolts 109 are two extenderboards 116. Preferred material of the extender boards is wood, but othermaterials, such as plastics, may be used. The purpose of the extenderboards 116 is to extend the rectangular transparent component, which isreferred to as the grid 117, further away from the golfer's eyes so thatlines on the grid 117 are distinct and not blurred. Preferred materialof the frontal board 115 is wood, but other materials, such as plastics,may be used. The grid 117 is attached to the extender boards 116 by Lbrackets 108 and nuts and bolts 109. The grid 117 includes horizontalgrid lines 118 and optional vertical grid lines 119 thereon. Thehorizontal lines 118 are parallel to the shoulder board 105 and sincethe grid 117 is connected to the shoulder board 105, any rotation of theshoulders will rotate the grid at the same time, meaning the shoulderboard 105 and horizontal lines 118 of the grid 117 remain parallel.Horizontal lines 118 on the grid 117 may be many, few, or only one. Asnoted above, vertical lines 119 are optional and may be many, few ornone. The grid 117 can be produced with varying lengths and widths. Thegreater the length of the grid 117, the longer the line of sight fromthe golfer's eyes to the hole 129 (FIG. 5 ), and hence the longer theputt that may be practiced. Additional holes may be placed in the grid117 to allow for lateral movement by removing the nuts and bolts 109,which may be optional wing nuts 109, and then reattaching the grid 117,thus allowing for longer putts to be practiced. Preferred material ofthe grid 117 is polycarbonate, but other transparent materials may beused.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 through 7 , the use of the adjustable gridembodiment 106 is described. First, the golfer dons the shoulder harness100. Next, the golfer inserts both ends of the shoulder board inside theharness 100 at the front of his body, centers the embodiment 106 betweenthe shoulders, and tightens the straps 104. It should be noted thatcentering the embodiment 106 on the body is preferable because it isbalanced, but the embodiment can be off-centered to the left for aright-handed golfer or to the right for a left-handed golfer, so as toextend the ability of the golfer to see further down the line to thetarget hole 129. Next, the golfer takes his normal stance and normalgrip on the putter 141 and centers the putter face 126 midway betweenhis feet, with weight evenly distributed on both feet. The golfer thenadjusts the frontal board 115 using the adjustable connector 110 so thatone horizontal line 118 of the grid 117 will line up on the line fromball to the hole 129, and he then tightens the set screw 114. Grips andstances of golfers vary widely, so no attempt will be made to discussany one in particular. However, regardless of the golfer's grip orstance, the principles outlined in this invention apply. For example, byusing the invention to line up the entire body parallel to the line fromthe ball to the hole and set the putter face perpendicular to this line,proper alignment is achieved. After adjusting the connector 110 andsetting the set screw 114, the golfer lines up one parallel line fromthe middle of the ball 128 to middle of hole 129 by rotating theshoulders and, using different parallel lines of the grid 117, lines upthe tips of his toes parallel to this line.

It should be noted that during the alignment process the whole body isinvolved, that is, the rotation of the shoulders around an axis runningthrough the middle of the torso from shoulders to waist, causes thetorso, hips, and knees to also rotate so that the whole body is aligned.However, preferably, during the stroke there is no movement of the bodyfrom the waist down, and the shoulders rotate the arms, wrists, andhands, which stay fixed during the stroke. As well, the head preferablystays down and does not move from side to side or up and down. As well,the rotation of the shoulders should be accomplished with slightrotation of the torso, also around the axis referred to above. Thesestroke issues are provided here for information only, but this inventiondoes not make claims as to stroke methods. FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 showdifferent views of the adjustable grid embodiment 106 on the golfer ataddress, when the alignment process takes place. As explainedpreviously, the shoulder board 105 and harness 100 are common to all thedisclosed embodiments. The attachment to the body as shown in FIGS. 5,6, and 7 is the same for all the disclosed embodiments. Therefore, toavoid repetition, these aspects of the drawings are not describedrepeatedly when not necessary, and the drawings which ensue reflect onlythose aspects unique to each embodiment. After aligning the entire bodyas described above, and as will be described in other embodiments to bedescribed, the golfer may first practice with the device attached to thebody in order to attain total body proper muscle control and thenpractice without the device to help insure that this control has beenattained. After this, golfer may test his skills on the course withoutthe device to determine if further practice is warranted with or withoutthe device.

Referring now to FIG. 8 , the construction of the fixed grid embodiment120 is shown. The L brackets 108 are attached to the shoulder board 105by fasteners, such as, but not limited to, nuts and bolts 109. Attachedto these L brackets 108, by nuts and bolts, are two extender boards 116.Attached to these extender boards 116, by nuts and bolts 109, are two Lbrackets 108. Attached to these two L brackets 108 is a grid 117,constructed similarly to that described in the adjustable gridembodiment 106. Preferred materials of these components are the same asdescribed previously for the adjustable grid embodiment 106.

Now that the fixed grid embodiment 120 construction has been explainedwe can describe how the invention works using the fixed grid embodiment120. The operation is the same as the adjustable grid embodiment 106,with the only difference being that there is no adjustable feature.Therefore, the golfer needs to bend slightly at the waist to line up theline from ball 128 to hole 129 prior to making the previously describedshoulder rotation.

Referring now to FIG. 16 , the construction of the fixed grid embodimentwith a continuous connector 154 is described. Attached to the shoulderboard 105, by nuts and bolts, is a continuous connector 142 with zig-zagshape. This shape allows the grid 117 to be down and away from thegolfer. Attached to the continuous connector 142, by nuts and bolts, isa stabilizer bar 155 and the grid 117. The stabilizer bar 155 includesmultiple holes, that in concert with holes in the grid 117, providestability to the grid 117 if it is moved laterally by removing andreattaching nuts and bolts 109 with optional wing nuts 109. The fixedgrid embodiment with continuous connector 154 works similarly to thefixed grid embodiment 120 which is described previously.

Referring now to FIGS. 17 and 18 , the assembly embodiment 143 isdescribed. Preferably, the assembly embodiment 143 can be assembled ordisassembled without nuts and bolts. Preferably, all materials of theassembly embodiment 143, with the exception of the grid 151, are someform of plastic, such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), orsimilar materials. The shoulder board 144 of the assembly embodiment 143is attached to the connector 147 by inserting the connector tenon 146into the shoulder board mortise 145. The connector 147 is attached atthe other end to the stabilizer bar 149 by inserting the connector tenon148 into the stabilizer bar mortise 150. The grid 151 is attached to thestabilizer bar 149 by snapping on of the holes in the grid toprojections 152 on the stabilizer bar 149. There are multipleprojections on the stabilizer bar 149 and multiple holes in the grid 151so that that the grid 151 can be easily moved laterally by unsnappingthe grid 151, moving the grid 151, and snapping the grid 151 back on theprojections 152 to allow for longer putts. Also, on the connector is aflap 153 that is used to hold the grid 151 in place. The assembly gridembodiment 143 works similarly to the fixed grid embodiment with acontinuous connector 154.

Referring now to FIGS. 9 and 10 , the single line laser embodiment 121is described. Preferably, the shoulder board 100, adjustable connector110. and frontal board 115 of the single line laser embodiment 121 areconstructed similarly to those described above with regard to theadjustable grid embodiment 106, with the exception that the frontalboard 115 will preferably be of a longer length. Preferably, threemagnets 122 are attached to the frontal board 115 by adhesive. Thepreferred configuration of the magnets 122 is a round disc, but otherconfigurations may be used. As shown in FIG. 9 , two magnets 122 arenear the ends of the frontal board 115 and one magnet 122 is in thecenter. Attached to the magnets 122 are single line lasers 123. If thelasers are made of a material is magnetic, such as plastic, a thin metalstrip 124 is attached to the lasers. This embodiment allows the lasersto be rotated. As can be seen in FIG. 9 and the schematic of FIG. 10 ,the lasers 123 are pointed such that the two lasers at the ends of thefrontal board 115 are directed so that the horizontal beam 125 of one isfocused on the ball and the horizontal beam 125 of the other is focusedon the hole 129. The center laser 123 is pointed perpendicular to thesehorizontal line beams 125 such that its beam 125 is focused on theputter face 126.

The single line laser embodiment 121 works the same as the previouslydiscussed embodiments utilizing grids with the exception that instead ofusing grid lines 118 and 119 to align the golfer's body and the putter,the laser lines 125 are used. Because there is only a single laser linerather than multiple horizontal lines on a grid 117, the golfer willneed to bend at the waist to line up his feet and then unbend to line upthe line from ball to hole prior to rotating the shoulders as necessary.

The pointer lasers embodiment 126 is shown in FIGS. 11 and 12 .Construction of this embodiment is the same as the single line lasersembodiment 121, with the exception that instead of three magnets 122,there are two magnets, and instead of three line lasers 123, there aretwo pointer lasers 131 attached to the magnets. The pointer lasers 131can be of different materials, but if not magnetic, as most are not,then a metal clip 132 can be attached to each pointer laser 131. Asshown., one laser 131 is pointed at the center of the ball 128 and oneat the center of the hole 129. The pointer laser embodiment 130 works inthe same manner as the single line laser embodiment 121, with theexception that instead of lining up the shoulder and feet withhorizontal lines of the grid 117, the shoulders 128 are rotated so thatone laser dot 157 hits the center of the ball 128 and one hits thecenter of the hole 129. The golfer's feet are lined up by bending at thewaist to affix the laser dots 157 to the tips of the toes.

As shown in FIGS. 13, 14, and 15 , the dual line laser embodiment 133attaches directly to the shoulder board 105. The dual line laserembodiment 133 works in the same manner as the two previously discussedlaser embodiments with the exception that the laser simultaneously emitsboth a horizontal beam 137 and a vertical beam 138 to meet in crosshairson the putting surface. The horizontal beam 137 is used to line up thefeet and shoulders of the golfer to the line from the ball 128 to thehole 129, and the vertical beam 138 is used to line up the putter face126.

While one or more preferred embodiments of the invention are describedabove, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and variations can be made in the present inventionwithout departing from the scope and spirit thereof. It is intended thatthe present invention cover such modifications and variations as comewithin the scope and spirit of the appended claims and theirequivalents.

REFERENCE NUMBERS

100 Shoulder Harness

101 Harness Strap

102 Harness Connector Strap

103 Harness Pad

104 Adjustable Shoulder Straps

105 Shoulder Board

106 Adjustable Grid Embodiment

107 Plastic Locking Component

108 L Bracket

109 Nuts and Bolts with Optional Wing Nuts

110 Adjustable Connector

111 Shoulder Board Connector Component

112 Frontal Board Connector Component

113 Cylindrical Part

114 Adjustable connector Set Screw

115 Frontal Board

116 Extender Board

117 Grid

118 Horizontal Grid Lines

119 Vertical Grid Lines

120 Fixed Grid Embodiment

121 Single Line Lasers Embodiment

122 Magnet

123 Single Line Laser

124 Thin Metal Plate

125 Line Laser Beam

126 Putter Face

127 Putter head

128 Ball

129 Hole

130 Pointer Lasers Embodiment

131 Pointer Laser

132 Metal Clip

133 Dual line Lasers Embodiment

134 Dual Line Laser

135 On/off Button

136 Mode Selector

137 Dual Line Laser Horizontal Beam

138 Dual Line Laser Vertical Beam

139 Dual Laser L Bracket

140 Dual Laser Set Screw

142 Continuous Connector

143 Assembly Grid Embodiment

144 Assembly Shoulder Board

145 Shoulder Board Mortise

146 Connector Tenon that Attaches to Shoulder Board Mortise

147 Assembly Connector

148 Connector Tenon that Attaches to Stabilizer Bar Mortise

149 Assembly Stabilizer Bar

150 Stabilizer Bar Mortise

151 Assembly Grid

152 Assembly Projections

153 Assembly Flap

154 Fixed Grid Embodiment with Continuous Connector

155 Stabilizer Bar

1. A putting alignment training device that is securable to a front side of an upper torso of a user and configured for aligning a golf ball with a cup on a putting surface, comprising: an elongated shoulder board having a longitudinal center axis; an adjustable harness that is secured to the elongated shoulder board and configured to secure the training device to the front side of the upper torso; and at least one laser assembly is operably secured to the elongated shoulder board and configured to project a laser beam onto the putting surface.
 2. The putting alignment training device of claim 1, wherein the at least one laser assembly is rotatable with respect to the elongated shoulder board.
 3. The putting alignment training device of claim 1, wherein the at least one laser assembly further comprises a dual line laser assembly that projects both a horizontal line laser beam and a vertical line laser beam onto the putting surface.
 4. The putting alignment training device of claim 3, wherein the horizontal line laser beam projected onto the putting surface is parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the elongated shoulder board and the vertical line laser beam is perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis of the elongated shoulder board.
 5. The putting alignment training device of claim 1, wherein the at least one laser assembly further comprises at least a first line laser assembly that projects a first line laser beam onto the putting surface and a second line laser assembly that projects a second line laser beam onto the putting surface, wherein the first and the second line laser beams are both horizontal and parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the elongated shoulder board.
 6. The putting alignment training device of claim 5, wherein the at least one laser assembly further comprises a third line laser assembly that projects a third line laser beam onto the putting surface, the third line laser beam being perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis of the elongated shoulder board.
 7. The putting alignment training device of claim 6, wherein the third line laser beam intersects one of the first line laser beam and the second line laser beam.
 8. A putting alignment training device that is securable to a front side of an upper torso of a user and configured for aligning a golf ball with a cup on a putting surface, comprising: an elongated shoulder board having a longitudinal center axis and configured to be secured to the upper torso of the user; and at least one laser assembly is operably secured to the elongated shoulder board and configured to project a laser beam onto the putting surface.
 9. The putting alignment device of claim 8, wherein the at least one laser assembly is rotatable with respect to the elongated shoulder board.
 10. The putting alignment training device of claim 8, wherein the at least one laser assembly further comprises a dual line laser assembly that projects both horizontal line laser beam and a vertical line laser beam onto the putting surface.
 11. The putting alignment training device of claim 10, wherein the horizontal line laser beam projected onto the putting surface is parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the elongated shoulder board and the vertical line laser beam is perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis of the elongated shoulder board.
 12. The putting alignment training device of claim 8, wherein the at least one laser assembly further comprises at least a first line laser assembly that projects a first line laser beam onto the putting surface and a second line laser assembly that projects a second line laser beam onto the putting surface, wherein the first and the second line laser beams are both horizontal and parallel to the longitudinal center axis of the elongated shoulder board.
 13. The putting alignment training device of claim 12, wherein the at least one laser assembly further comprises a third line laser assembly that projects a third line laser beam onto the putting surface, the third line laser beam being perpendicular to the longitudinal center axis of the elongated shoulder board.
 14. The putting alignment training device of claim 13, wherein the third line laser beam intersects one of the first line laser beam and the second line laser beam. 